A Household Matter
by SadieGrace
Summary: Mrs. Reynolds, whose job it was to know even the minutest details of all the goings-on of Pemberley House, heard within moments of the master's hurried rush to join the visitors on their tour, and was kept abreast of his exceptional attentions to them throughout their walk. Knowing all of this, she approached him after their departure somewhat hesitantly.


_AN: I reread_ _Pride and Prejudice_ _periodically, and the last time I did it was the Pemberley chapters that stuck in my mind. Mrs. Reynolds' part in the book as a whole is rather small, but she's a character I've always liked and she decided she would like to be fleshed out a little bit more here._

* * *

Mrs. Reynolds, whose job it was to know even the minutest details of all the goings-on of Pemberley House, heard within moments of the master's hurried rush to join the visitors on their tour, and was kept abreast of his exceptional attentions to them throughout their walk. Knowing all of this, she approached him after their departure somewhat hesitantly.

"Beggin' your pardon Master Darcy, we didn't know that the company were particular friends of yours. They said nothing of it. I hope we didn't offend them in any way during their visit. Had we known, we-"

Here, Darcy cut her off.

"Do not bother yourself, Reynolds. I had no knowledge of their visit, and they were by no means offended. I am sure Pemberley could not disappoint."

Darcy hoped rather than was assured that this was true. He had always been proud of his beloved home, but his pride had failed him on more than one occasion in recent months. Of the fact that he had only been introduced to the Gardiners that afternoon, he said nothing, though he suspected Mrs. Reynolds had been informed by some servant or another already, in any case. Little that happened on the grounds of Pemberley remained unknown to her for long.

"Was there anything… of particular note during their tour?" He ventured, attempting to sound casual in the inquiry.

Reynolds searched her mind for any small thing that might have been of importance in the interlude with the guests. She, who took not inconsiderable pride in the delight visitors often showed on their tours of the house, had not found much to be out of the usual with this one. So long as they praised the loveliness of the house and listened to her adulation of its master, she had ceased to pay much mind to the remainder of such tours. That they had claimed small acquaintance with the master was not the most typical of such tours, but neither was it of considerable note. Many others had come claiming an acquaintance and demanding special favors due to the connection.

"They did mention that you were known to them, though I thought it only a slight acquaintance from their words."

Here, Darcy held back a self-deprecating chuckle. No doubt the lady had herself thought it only a slight acquaintance until she abruptly discovered just how differently he thought on the matter.

Striving to remember as much as possible, she continued, "They seemed a kindly couple. The lady and her husband were curious to hear of the family, as she had known of your parents as a girl in Lambton. The young lady, I think, enjoyed looking out the windows as much as seeing any of the rooms."

Reynolds, who herself had watched out the window as the master had farewelled his guests and handed the young lady into her carriage, felt it was not irrelevant to add, with as much feigned innocence as she could manage, "The young lady admitted you to be a very handsome gentleman, and, I thought, looked rather long at your portrait, Master Darcy."

Here, Darcy could not stop the small flush of pleasure that reached his cheekbones, a flush that Mrs. Reynolds noted with not inconsiderable, though hidden, interest.

"Which portrait?" He asked with feigned disinterest.

"Well, more than one, I thought sir, but the one in the gallery in particular."

"And what had she to say of Pemberley?"

"She commented on one or two of the gardens as she saw from the windows. The rose garden, I believe seemed her favorite."

Here, Darcy only nodded, unsurprised.

"And she had nothing to say of Pemberley House? Were they pleased by it? Had sh- they anything particular to say of it?"

To Mrs. Reynolds' astonishment, the realization was dawning that the master was unsure of the ability of either himself of his estate to impress their recent company. From their dress and reactions to the house she knew it not to be because they were of great rank or nobility. Offended on his behalf, her tone was only a notch shy of indignant when she replied.

"You know there is not a servant here but that will give you a good name, Master Darcy, and Pemberley House has not its equal in all the north of England."

Reynolds, who truly believed that Pemberley was best estate in all of England with the best master in the whole of the country, would not allow that anyone could be displeased by either.

"I am certain that Pemberley has put her best foot forward, as she always does." Darcy placated, both gratified and amused at her response, "It is of some import to me, however, that these particular guests be pleased with it."

They shared a few further words of household necessities and plans for the next days before Mrs. Reynolds took her leave to return below stairs.

"Reynolds," Darcy called as she turned to exit the room. When he continued, she felt the need to school her features so as not to betray a smile of motherly delight.

"Should Miss Bennet and her relations have cause to return to Pemberley, I would like them to see the very best of the hospitality that we have to offer."

For the first time in the years of Darcy's majority, Mrs. Reynolds began to hold out the hope that Pemberley would not be without a mistress for much longer.

* * *

When the carriage departed Pemberley the next day carrying Darcy, Georgiana, and Bingley, it left behind Darcy's bemused and somewhat harried valet sitting down to tea at the kitchen table. Mrs. Reynolds, ever conscious the family's privacy and of the listening ears of understaff, did not ask why his normally placid expression was so diverted. She watched the carriage depart and assumed she knew the cause.

It was with no little anxiety and trepidation that Darcy waited at the inn, Georgiana at his side, to be announced to the Gardiner party. He had carefully schooled his expressions and his words to Georgiana on the drive to Lambton, but he found that, as they drew nearer the room, he was less and less master of the beat of his heart and the racing of his thoughts.

That Elizabeth looked at him with an expression of wide-eyed surprise that she could not hide at various points during their exchange was a subject of both gratification and self-loathing in his mind. The first because his efforts at self-improvement had clearly been successful enough to merit her notice. The second because it was a reminder that his previous behavior must needs have been very bad in order to cause her to react in such shock to his newfound civility.

He was happy to know by the end of their visit that, at the very least, he and his household would have one more opportunity to improve on her impressions of them. On their return to Pemberley, Mrs. Reynolds found him to be unusually concerned with the details of the menu for the upcoming days and with the supply and type of delicacies to be found or produced in the house for their guests.

* * *

Knowing that their call would likely be returned on the following morning, Darcy found himself more anxious than usual as he set his lines in the stream. The other gentlemen made easy conversation as they pulled in their catch, but Darcy found himself unable to participate. He abandoned all pretense of attention to his line when Mr. Gardiner let it be known that he expected his wife and niece would have arrived at Pemberley House by that time.

Darcy gave a few moments thought to whether he ought to make the excuse of some pressing business back at the house rather than owning a - not untrue- desire to greet his guests. In the agitation of his mind, he could not later recall which choice he had settled on, though his conscience would have been happy to recall that his distaste for disguise won out over his pride.

He did not notice that Gardiner watched him keenly out of the corner of his eyes as he stuttered a line about joining his sister to bid their guests welcome. Neither did he notice Mrs. Reynolds in the doorway as he hurried into the house, the tiny smile she allowed to reach her lips both knowing and pleased.

* * *

The next twenty-four hours brought more upheaval than any occupant of Pemberley or Lambton could have foreseen. When Darcy set out for Lambton for the second time with hope trembling in his heart, he was met with news that sent the coming weeks into chaos and uncertainty. Thus, it was some weeks later than Pemberley's master had hoped on that bright morning in August when he set out for Lambton that he finally returned to the estate with his bride in tow.

Mrs. Reynolds' face was only a few shades less delighted than the master's when Mrs. Darcy was presented to her, and she expressed her sentiments at the prospect of having a mistress again at Pemberley as warmly as she felt the occasion and her position allowed.

Mrs. Darcy's response was as warm as her own and it was with no little gratitude and affection that she informed Mrs. Reynolds that her description of the master of the house had played no small part in softening her heart towards him.

Mrs. Reynolds, gratified thus by having been of use to the master in helping acquire his bride, to the mistress in improving her information, and to them both in having helped them on towards the realization of the affection and warmth now diffused over both faces, beamed with pride and pleasure.

And so their household felicity was thus established. Mrs. Reynolds, proud of having herself helped the match along, was confident that it could be nothing other than a splendid one. She, therefore, from the first day would allow no hint of disloyalty or murmuring amongst the staff against the new mistress, and was determined in every case to find her nothing less than perfect.

Mrs. Darcy, who felt she owed a debt of gratitude to the motherly woman for opening her eyes to the truth of Mr. Darcy, was inclined from the outset to feel for her all the respect and affection and trust of one actually born and raised in her household.

Mr. Darcy, for his part, having eyes only for his new wife, upon seeing her and his estimable housekeeper esteem one another and establish amicable relations, and hearing of no discord in the days that followed, gave no further thought to the matter at all and gave himself up to the delight of finally having brought Mrs. Darcy home to Pemberley.


End file.
